As the seasons shift, so does the weather, which can impact the air quality within your home. Typically, indoor air remains relatively consistent throughout the year. However, during the summer, you might observe an increase in dust and pollen infiltrating your living spaces. People tend to stay indoors more to escape the heat, so it’s important to take measures to enhance the air quality in your home during this period. Here are some simple and effective suggestions to help you improve your inside air.
1. Keep Your Home Clean
Regular house cleaning is crucial to maintaining better indoor air quality during the summer. Dusting surfaces and vacuuming with a reliable vacuum cleaner helps to remove pet dander, pollen, and other allergens. Consider using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to trap even smaller particles effectively. Additionally, mopping hardwood floors will prevent dust and dirt from circulating in the air. Cleaning your bedding is also essential to eliminating things like dust mites, which thrive in warm and humid conditions. Reducing clutter in your living spaces also minimizes the surfaces where dust can accumulate, creating a cleaner and healthier environment.
2. Don’t Smoke in Your Home
Smoking indoors has severe consequences for indoor air quality. Cigarette smoke contains harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and tar. These pollutants linger in the air and can settle on various surfaces, leading to long-lasting and harmful effects. Particulate matter from cigarette smoke can cause respiratory problems and worsen existing health conditions. Establishing a no-smoking policy indoors and encouraging smokers to step outside is essential, creating a healthier and more pleasant environment for everyone.
3. Use Exhaust Fans While Cooking
Cooking releases airborne byproducts such as grease, fumes, steam, and heat, degrading indoor air quality. Utilizing exhaust fans while cooking helps to vent these pollutants outdoors, preventing them from accumulating inside of your home. Proper ventilation is especially crucial when cooking over high heat since it can produce harmful gases like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. If exhaust fans aren’t practical for you, try cooking outdoors in cooler environments, like in the evening.
4. Consider Adding a Decontaminating Lamp
Decontaminating UV lamps are effective tools for improving indoor air quality, particularly when removing microorganisms emitted by HVAC systems. Over time, HVAC ducts and systems can accumulate dust and other contaminants. Installing a decontaminating UV lamp within the HVAC system helps to neutralize harmful microorganisms, creating cleaner and safer air for you and your family.
5. Have Your Air Filters Changed Regularly
Another essential way to enhance your indoor air quality is by changing your air filters. This small but crucial task involves replacing your air filter every one to three months. Air filters significantly trap allergens and pollutants as they circulate through your home’s ductwork. However, when the filter gets clogged, it can compromise your air conditioner’s performance and allow harmful particles to get into your air. You can avoid such issues by staying on top of this simple maintenance task.
6. Professional HVAC Inspections
Improving indoor air quality is easy with our professional HVAC system inspection. By having our team of experts inspect your HVAC unit, you can effectively eliminate dust, dirt, pollen, and other contaminants. Additionally, we’ll identify any potential problems with your system, such as leaks, malfunctioning components, or broken seals. Addressing these issues will boost your system’s performance and save money in the long run.
7. Go Shoeless
Shoes can track in a host of pollutants from the outdoors, including dirt, pollen, pesticides, and other contaminants. A no-shoes-inside policy helps to keep these pollutants at bay and reduces the need for frequent cleaning. Encourage family members and guests to leave their shoes at the entrance to prevent the spread of outdoor pollutants in your house.
8. Consider an Indoor Garden
Indoor plants add aesthetic appeal to a home and serve as natural air purifiers. Certain houseplants, like the Gerber daisy, pothos, purple waffle plant, Boston fern, peace lily, golden bamboo palm, Chinese evergreen, and ficus, have air-purifying capabilities. They absorb harmful indoor air pollutants and release oxygen, promoting a healthier and fresher atmosphere.
9. Control Humidity Levels
Balancing indoor humidity levels is essential for maintaining optimal indoor air quality and comfort during the summer. High humidity can create a conducive environment for bacterial growth, leading to potential health issues. On the other hand, excessively low humidity can cause dryness and discomfort. Consider using a hygrometer to monitor indoor humidity levels and a dehumidifier or a humidifier to maintain a comfortable indoor environment.
10. Get Rid of Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew pose significant indoor air quality hazards, particularly in warm and humid environments. These fungi release spores that, when inhaled, can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma attacks, headaches, and lightheadedness. If you notice any signs of mold or mildew in your home, taking immediate action is crucial. The best approach is to hire our professional services to remove the mold and thoroughly disinfect the affected areas. Our experts will handle the visible issue and address the root cause. We’ll identify and fix any moisture sources that might promote mold growth, such as improving ventilation and fixing leaking water.
11. Watch How Often You Open Your Windows
In the summer, it’s natural to want to open your windows and doors for some fresh air. However, it’s essential to be mindful of the outdoor conditions that can affect the air inside of your home. To keep the air in your house healthy, keep your windows and doors closed when conditions are unfavorable. Instead, use your air conditioning system to maintain a controlled and filtered indoor environment.
12. Test For Radon
Having your house tested for radon is another crucial way to maintain healthy indoor air quality this summer. Radon is a dangerous gas that can seriously impact the air quality inside of your home. It poses significant health risks when present in high amounts. Radon is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it impossible to detect without testing. The tricky part is that radon can silently harm your health without warning. If you experience symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath, it could indicate that radon is present in your household. Smokers and children are at even higher risk, and prolonged radon exposure can lead to severe diseases. It’s crucial to let our professionals test the radon levels in your home to ensure the safety of you and your family.
13. Avoid Synthetic Fragrances
Synthetic fragrances found in perfumes, cleaning products, personal care items, and laundry detergents often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals can adversely affect indoor air quality and trigger allergies, headaches, asthma attacks, and other health issues. Opt for fragrance-free or naturally scented products to minimize the release of harmful VOCs and create a healthier living space.
Conclusion
At Southland Heating & Air Conditioning in Newbury Park, CA, we offer a range of HVAC services. These include air duct cleaning, diagnostics, and maintenance. We’ll ensure your HVAC system operates at its best. You can also count on our skilled team to handle heating and cooling repairs and installations with the utmost expertise. We’ve got you covered if you need heat pump repairs or installations for your home as well. Call us today for more information.
